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Astrophysics > High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena

Title:
Dark matter searches with the IceCube Upgrade

Abstract: Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs) are well-motivated candidates
for Dark Matter (DM). WIMP models often include self-annihilation into Standard
Model particles such as neutrinos which could potentially be detected by the
IceCube Neutrino Observatory. Various searches for a dark matter induced signal
have been performed with the existing IceCube detector. However, since there is
so far no evidence for WIMPs at TeV scales, more attention is brought to DM
candidates at GeV masses, for which the IceCube detector is not sensitive due
to its energy threshold. The IceCube collaboration is currently preparing the
construction of the IceCube Upgrade which is planned to be deployed in the
2022/2023 South Pole summer season. The IceCube Upgrade will consist of 7 new
in-ice strings with about 700 additional optical sensors. This dense sensor
array inside the IceCube-DeepCore volume will enhance the reconstruction
capability of few-GeV neutrinos. We present first studies on the potential
improvements of this upgrade on IceCube's sensitivity to Dark Matter
annihilating in the Galactic Center.

Comments:

Presented at the 36th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2019). See arXiv:1907.11699 for all IceCube contributions